Building brick and wall



13, 1939. c;a B- BREAKEY N 2,16?,417

BUILDING BRICK AND WALL Filed Julysl, 195'/ 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR.ZI 'ealgefeaqyt WMM Y I Izz'f ATTOREY 'June13,1939. j vG.B.I= S.\=A ,Epfwww BUILDING BRICK ANl WALL Filed July 3l, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gli;ATTORNEY Patented June'13, 1939 UNITED .STATES BUILDING Barok AND WALLGeorge B. Breakey, Brooklyn, N. Y., asaignor, by direct and mesneassignments, to Tybriok Corporation, a corporation of New YorkApplication July 3l, 1937, Serial No. 156,727 11 (Jlaiml. (Cl. 'I2-41).,

This invention relates in general to building bricks, and has for itsmain object tov` provide abrick which is of hollow construction and yetoffers the vstrength and load capacity of solid brick of equal size.

That is to say, the subject of the present invention is a new andvaluable building block which, although made hollow for lightness, andalthough having additional important advantages l0 resulting from itsskeletal nature and conformational characteristics, is essentially not asocalled hollow tile such as is customarily employed for mere partitionconstruction or for air-insulation per se, but, instead, is a buildingblock l@ for a load-bearing wall, or a true (loadbearing) brick.

I am aware that it has been proposed to provide a tile building blockwith voids therein and otherwise specially shaped, all purportedly forthe purpose of giving an air-insulated, light-weight and water-tightwall, and at the same time, a building block havingthe strength and loadca pacity of a solid brick of the same size; but these proposals havefallaciously been predicated on the idea that as long as the hollow tilebloeit` included webs, Walls or ribs of more than usual thickness, and(in order to include these) was of standard outside-wall orload-sustaining building-brick size as to two of its three dimensionsand with a third dimension equal to a multiple of the third dimension ofa standard solid brick, it

.would offer a comparatively high percentage .of

compressive strength or load capacity when compared to the usual solid,standard building brick.

Such an abortive theory has heretofore consistently been unchallenged,as ,evidenced by a large plurality of paper patents invwhat, if merelycursorily considered, would be erroneously termed the prior art.

40 My invention provides, and is the first to provide, a hollowload-bearing building brick; which is a multiple-brick unit and so canform a continuous bond across the wall, in each course, to save mortarand masons time in laying, and which is so shaped .that a wall builttherefrom will be dry and heat-insulated Without the application ofwater-proofing, Iurrlng and lathing,

yet a brick so conformed that the regular, standard-shaped brick (2" x4" i: 8") can be laid in combination therewith, without the necessity ofchipping away any brick portions.

One of the essential concepts of the present invention, whereby theabove and other objects are attained, is a holiowing out of thebulk-content of a standard brick in a. way to lighten its weightconsiderably yet to reduce its load-carrying capacity only negligibly ifat all. More speciilcally, this essential concept includes:

(a) The provision of a tunnel-like cavity through the brick, by theomission of internal areas of the brick so located as not normally to beunder much if any compressive stress thereby to provide an internalvoid, and one of a cross-section and at a location in the brick suchthat the load-bearing value of the arched brick thereby provided issubstantially if not fully equal to that of a standard solid bricksaid1ocation corresponding tothe location of the less thoroughly kiln-burnedinterior' mass of the standard brick (which mass is really, I havefound, of negligible loadfsustaining ability or action, being a neutralarea where the stresses prevailing if any are negative ones), and saidcross section being substantially ovaior elliptical thereby tocorrespond substantially in location and shape with the location andshape of said mass, and, fortuitously (due to the oval or ellipticalcharacteristic of said cavity, particularly at the upper portion thereofwhen the brick is laid), to provide a' special arch structure and actionin the body' of the new arched brick where the retained material oi thelatter spans over said cavity.

(b) 'I'he provisiora, in a multiple-unit brick (that is, one ,say 2"x.8r x 8", where the standard brickwcontinues to be, as it has been formany centuries 2" x 4" x 8"), not only of a plurality of said cavities,(for example, in the double-unit brick just referred to, one such cavityfor each of the two sections oi the double-unit brick) and these,preferably, in combination with a central tunnel-like cavity providing apowerfui truss element inbuilt in the brick and of its own material, allto give a plural-unit load-bearing brick having a load-sustainingcapacity which is equivalent to a solid structure of equal. or evenlarger size.

(c) The' provision, also, oi' an exterior conformation for the newarched brick such that the load transmitted through the intervening andbonding mortar layer from one arched-brick to the lapped arched-bricksin the immediately underlying course, is delivered substantially equallyto all load-bearing parts of said underlying bricks, instead of asheretofore, theoretically to a hollowtile-type section of apseudo-brida, butF actually to a very weak 'web member. fatallyincapable of withstanding the cracking strain imposed thereon by thetension stress imparted theretor-andv at the same time anexteriorconformation for the new arched-brick such that not only the mortarbetween the brick courses accomplishes its bonding function yet actsabsolutely to prevent water-seepage through the wall, but also such thatany desired thickness of mortar between courses can be employed and yetthis layer will always perform its intended work of acting as aflat-plate load-transmission means from one course to the coursetherebelow.

An important object of the invention, and one obtainable by a brickincorporating some or all of the features above, is to provide arectangular true brick which, while specially conformed away from theflat at top and bottom faces, will lie flat when studied and with theheight of the stack merely the sum, of the thicknesses of all the bricksin the stack.

Other features and advantages will be hereinafter apparent.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a now preferredembodiment of the brick of my invention, as well also as a plurality ofmoditlcations thereof, another novel brick useful therewith andotherwise, and a wall structure pursuant to its invention:

Fig. 1 shows said now preferred embodiment of my new brick, in isometricperspective.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation, showing two of these bricks stacked forstorage or transportation.

Fig. 8 is also an end elevation showing two of said bricks bondedtogether by a mortar layer.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, lbut with reinforcements, as metalrods, embedded in the lower ends of the diagonal load-thrust membersaforesaid.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, illustrating a wall pursuant to theinvention, comprising three courses and a corner construction includingin each course at the wall corner one brick of standard size here shownas another novel brick according to the invention.

Fig. 6 shows the brick last-mentioned, in top plan, and on an enlarged`scale.

Fig. 'Tis a view thereof in side elevation, partially broken away andpartially in section.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the courses of a wallwherein a lower wall section of three-brick thickness carries above thesame a stepped-back wall section of two-brick thickness-the bricks ofthe last-mentioned wall section being like those of Fig. 1, and-thebricks of the first-mentioned wall section being a modification of thebrick of Fig. 1 only in thaty it is thrice the width instead of merelytwice the width of an ordinary brick and in that it has four instead oftwo oval or elliptical tunnel-like passages therethrough.

Fig. 9 shows in end elevation another modification of the brick of Fig.1, and a brick of the same width as the latter, but with no part of anyconvex formation on its bottom extended below the at of its bottom andwith its bottom interrupted near the two opposite sides of the brick bymortar taking and locking grooves.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary view, showing two of the bricks of Fig. 9stacked for storage and transportation.

Fig. 1l is a view similar to Fig. l0, showing said bricks bondedtogether by mortar as in building a wall.

Referring first to the exemplifying form of my 'inventionA illustratedinFigs. 1 through 5 and to the multiple-brick unit shown therein, thisbrick as shown is a rectangular building brick equivathat is, in placeof being made 2" x 4" x 8" it is made 2" x 8 x 8", for the purpose ofeffecting labor savings in laying, carrying and transportation as wellas savings in manufacture. As shown, the individual unit brick I0 issubstantially rectangular in shape and is provided with arch formingoval or elliptical openings II oppositely oil'- set from a centralsubstantially triangular or truss shaped opening I2;these openingsrunning through the brick from endto end as shown, forming tunnel-likecavities or voids therethrough. Thus, while there is provided a hollowbrick, it is formed of strong arches linked by a main truss all embodiedwithin a substantially rectangularly shaped brick of rm wall structurethroughout and with brick material removed only in the areas where theprevailing stresses if any are negative; and hence it is a load-bearingor true brick. By providing the voids II and I2, there is actuallyprovided, probably, a brick of greater load-bearing capacity than if thebrick were left solid as usual. This is due to the inability in the caseof the ordinary solid brick to kiln-burn the same throughout the massthereof, due to the formation first of a hard shell or crust about thebrick material at the core of the brick.

The voids II and I2 are shown as located in the zones of this internalnon-load-bearing core, and the brlck-end-adjacent ends of the voids IIcorrespond roughly in contour with the contour of the ends of said core.By the present invention, however, the kiln-heat acts not only on thesuperficies of my brick which correspond to the six flat faces of anordinary solid brick, but also on the superficies of my brickestablished by the Walls of the voids I l and I2.

On the bottom of my brick is formed a suitably corrugated surface I3,and in the top of my brick is formed a central rib I4 attended by agroove I5 on one side thereof and a groove I6 on the other side thereof.The rib I4 provides a means for conveniently handling the brick inlaying, the conformation IB-Il-IB being cross-sectionally entirely madeup of concave and convex curvatures which smoothly merge to eliminatecrackstarting joints and to avoid finger-pinching or cramping angles orcorners.

When the bricks are stacked for transportation, one upon the other, asshown in Fig. 2, the rib I4 ilts into the major central concavity of thecorrugation I3, thus permitting the bottom face I1 of one brick to sitflush upon the top face I8 of an underlying brick. This means morebricks per load in transportation as against various types ofirregularly shaped hollow tiles which in most cases are cumbersome andhard to ship because of their shapes and which often are cracked intransit due to their being shaken about.

Fig. 3 is an end view of my brick laid in course, with the mortar I 9forming a bond between an upper brick and the one therebelow, and alsoforming an interlocking means with the bricks by way of the grooves I5and I6 in the top of. the lower brick and the two terminal minorconcavities I5 and I6' of the corrugation I3 in the bottom of the upperbrick.

The layer of mortar I9 can be of any desired thickness; and regardlessof the thickness of such layer, there is always provided a void 2Gbetween the mortar of one brick and an underlying brick,

in the form of an upwardly arched chamber, for

absolutely preventing water seepage from one side of the wall to theother by capillary action through the mortar andat the mortar line. A

' the concave sides of the rib shank, but also the major lowerpart ofthe laterally swelled top of the rib Il are subtended by the roundedgrooves Il and li sunk in the upper face of the brick, so that the riband the two grooves aredefined in cross-section wholly by curvilinearlines which merge smoothly and imperceptibly where joined. At the sametime, the general direction of depth extension of each of the grooves I5and i8 is at an oblique inclination to the vertical and such directionsof depth extension of the two grooves are downwardly convergent. Thesearrangements coact to give the important advantages of having the solidrib Il project only slightly above the top of the brick, of assisting inmaking the rib an ideal hand-hold, and of capacitating the grooves toact as receptors for mortar elements to constitute diagonal. load-thrustmembers running down from one course to another and from an end arch ofany overlying brick to the central truss element of an immediatelyunderlying brick.

In forming a wall with my bricks I may first build a foundation or lowerwall section by using a unit brick 25, Pig. 8, which is oi' the width ofthree standard bricks in place of one of the width of two standardbricks, as is my unit brick I0, and then build directly thereupon anupper wall section of my unit bricks il as shown in the view lastmentioned. It will be observed that in so doing, no adapter bricks ofany kind are necessary to change from the larger unit brick 2S to thesmaller unit brick il, and vice versa. Also, this wider unit brick 25demonstrates the adaptability of my invention to any size of brick.

Furthermore, the, usual header course is not required at the usualintervals over theheight of the wall, as, for instance, every sixthcourse; as the wall of the present invention is interlocked, laterally,at every course, by the multiple-type brick employed, of a.width equalto two, three or more standard solid bricks.

Referring finally to Figs. 9, and 11, these views illustrate a brick Ibaexactly like the brick Il of Fig. l, except in two particulars. It willbe seen that the parts I la, ila, i3d, Ha. iba. a, a' and lia' in Figs.9, 10 and 11 correspond, respectively, to the parts Il, I2, II, I4, i5,I., il' and it' of Figs. 1, 2 and 3. Note, however, that in Figs. 9. l0and 11 the convexities of the corrugation i3 which intervene between themaior concavity Il' and the minor concavities I 5a' ma` Ita' are flushwith me bottom me of the brick. Note, also, that mortar taking andlocking grooves It are shown at the bottom of the brick Ila, near theopposite sides thereof. In certain wall structures, employing anyembodiment of, the multiple unit of the present invention, thesecorrugations or equivalents are desirable.

Considerable particularities of description, as to materials.dimensions, capacities, utilities and preferences may have been hereinindulged in,

' but it will be understood that these statements.

made with particular reference to that one, and` the one now preferred,of the many possible embodiments of the invention which is illustratedin the drawings, are not in any way to be taken as definitive orlimitative of the invention. That is to say, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

Modifications and variations may be made within the invention, andpartsof the-improve- 75 ments may be used without others.

And as will be understood, the scope of protection contemplated is to betaken solely from the appended claims, interpreted as broadly as isconsistent with the prior art, it being understood that the curvature ofthe curvilinear or curved surfaces and the curved arch-shaped walls asclaimed is substantially continuous.

I claim:

l. A building brick substantially rectangular in shape and of multipletype, having edge dimensions the same as standard brick and having aplurality of interior portions hollowed-out therethrough as voided areasof a substantially curved shape and disposed on either side of a centralportion and parallel to edges of the brick, said hollowedout portionsbeing closed in all around by the material of the brick and beingbounded interiorly of the brick by substantially curved-arch shapedwalls constituting compression body members of the brick.

2. A multiple type brick having load-bearing capacitysubstantially'equlvalent to a standard brick, substantially rectangularin shape, and of a size to displace a plurality of standard brick inwidth but having its other two dimensions the same as standard brick,and having a plurality of internal areas hallowed-out to a substantiallycurvilinear shape to incorporate a plurality of integral substantiallycurvedarch compression structural body members in thesaid multiple typebrick. said areas disposed on either side of a central portion andparallel to edges of the brick, said brick having a solid rib of asubstantially curvilinear shape formed on the upper side of said brickand in the central portion thereof and extending in parallelism withsaid areas, the major bulk of said solid rib being formed within thebody of the brick Irather than above the upper plane surface of same andbeing separated from the upper face surface of said brick by roundedoutgroove formations therein on either side of said solid rib, which saidsolid rib is useful as a hand-gripping member or hand-hoh? for the fworking application e! the brick, the said rounded-out groove formationsproviding practical working finger spacesin use of said rib as ahandgripping member.

3. A multiple type brick substantially as described in claim 2, havinga'central triangleshaped void extended therethrough parallel to edges ofthe brick to establish a central integral triangle-arched compressionmember, said compression member terminating with said solid rib formedon the upper apex thereof.

, 4. A multiple type brick substantially as described in claim 2, inwhich said solid rib is a solid projection forming the upper apex of atriangle-arched compression structural body vmember mainly formed by a.triangle-shaped void in the central part of the brick. said rib having aconvexly rounded top and concavely rounded sides and 'providing apracticable hand gripping member; said rounded-out groove formationsestablishing and defining specially curved partial upper and outerformations for said curved-arch and triangle-shaped structural membersof the brick, providing spaces for thereception of reinforcing rods,providing practical working finger space on either side of said solidrib for use oi. said hand-gripping member, and also providing spaces forthe interception of jointing material when said bricks are placed inwall construction.

5. A multiple type brick substantially as described in claim 2, in whichsaid solid rib is extended parallel to two opposite edges of the brick;

thelower face of the brick having a Vcurvilinearly contouredmultiple-grooved recess formed therein, extended up into the body of xthe brick and extending parallel to and in substantially verticalalignment with said solid rib, said recess hav ing a central majorgrooved portion of a shape substantially complementing the curved shapeof the apex of the solid rib on a subjacent brick.

6. A multiple type brick substantially as described in claim 2, having amultiple-groove corrugation formed and extended up into the body of saidbrick, on the lower side and in the central portion thereof andextending parallel to edges oi?l the brick, said multiple-groovecorrugation having a central major groove which forms the lower faceside of a central curvedarch compression body member of the brick, saidcompression body member being substantially in alignment with the lowerface walls, of the brick, the upper side o f said curved-archcompression body member being formed by a centrally locatedtriangle-arched shaped voided area within the brick.

7. A multiple type brick having load-bearing capacity substantiallyequivalent to standard brick, substantially rectangular in shape and ofsize to displace a plurality of standard bricks in width but having itstwo other dimensions the same as standard brick, and having a pluralityo! voided areas therethrough of substantially curvilinear shape disposedon either side of a central portion which is partially formed by avoided area of triangular shape, said voids forming a substantiallycurved-archv and triangular-arched compression body members within thebrick; said central portion being topped by a solid rounded rib andhaving parallel rounded grooves on either side "of said rib sunk in thebrick, said rib forming the upper extended apex of said triangular-archcompression member; and said central portion at the brick bottom havinga multiple groove corrugation including a central major groove o! ashapev substantially complementing the rounded rib of a subjacent brick,and said major groove forming the lower face of a central-archcompression body member the upper face of which is formed by the bottomof said triangular-shape voided area.

bond interlocks and resisting seats for diagonalload-thrustl membersformed byintercepted overflow mortar the opposing/seats for which mem'-bers are provided by/the grooves on either side of said rib of a subacent brick.

9. A brick as in claim '7, wherein the various internal areas of thebrick body omitted to establish said arched/ compression members arelocated in the neutral regions of the brick body where merely negativestresses prevail so that said omitted areas represent only a slightreduction of structural value which is .amply compensated for by themore uniform burning of the brick in the kiln, said compression bodymembers being so formed and shaped by said omitted areas and by saidgrooves on either side of said rib and by said corrugation as to formasingle trussed unit Vin which the imposed load stresses are uniformlydistributed through the brick to form a trussed bond transverse to theYWall in each course when the brick is placed in Wall construction.

10. A building wall comprising multiple bricks as in claim 7, in whicheach brick has its said rib and its said corrugation soformed andlocated that the rib on one brick is only partially extended into thesaid major groove of a superjacent brick when said bricks are mortarspaced in wall construction, whereby a curved-arch cavity is providedbetween said bricks to act as a horizontal air duct between two brickcourses, said cavities joined by vertical air ilues between adjacentbrick ends and between spaced mortar portions at said ends.

11. A building wall including bricks as in claim '7, said bricks havingtheir ribs so formed that with said bricks mortar spaced in said wallsaid ribs are non-projectant above such mortar whereby said bricks canbe laid in combination with standard size adapter bricks without anychipping or cutting away of any portion of any-brick; said wall alsoincluding standard size adapter bricks having a plurality of voidstherethrough so arranged that one void in an adapter brick matches onevoid in a superjacent adapter brick at a corner of said wall whencorner-bonded by the adapter bricks, thereby to provide at said cornerIa vertical air duct in the wall.

"GEORGE B. BREAKEY.

